Students who do not meet these pre-requisites will be removed from the course whenever it is discovered. There could be Fee or Registration implications.

Class Dates and Times

In addition to 50 hours of practice teaching and observing (individual schedules and locations to be determined in class), TSL566H1 classes will be held on the following five Thursdays, 6-9 pm (except where noted):

September 13

October 4

October 22* Workshop 2-5pm

October 25

November 8

November 19* Workshop 3-5pm

November 29

In the Winter Term classes & workshops will be held on the following seven Fridays, 2-5 pm (except where noted):

January 11

January 25

February 1* Workshop 2-5pm

February 15

March 1* Workshop 2-4pm

March 15

March 29* Workshop 2-4pm

April 5

* Indicates a program workshop. The topics, times and locations of the workshops will be confirmed at the beginning of each term and will be posted on Events section.

Students MUST attend the first scheduled class or contact the instructor (carolyn.cote@utoronto.ca) to explain their absence. Failure to do so will result in removal from the course.

All students enrolled in the Practicum must complete a criminal background check at least 10 to 12 weeks before the start of the course. This is the policy of the Toronto Catholic District School Board, the board in which our students do their practicum placements. Students planning to register in the Winter practicum should request their criminal check in September. Please see below for instructions.

Criminal Background Checks

You must have your Vulnerable Sector Police Check before:

you can begin volunteering in a publically-funded ESOL program. You will be asked to show your Police Clearance to the program coordinator or supervisor.

you can begin the Practicum (TSL566). You are required to bring a COPY of your Police Clearance to the first Practicum class.

A Police Clearance confirms that you do not have any police record that would pose a threat to ‘vulnerable people’ including immigrants and refugees. School boards (Adult Education), community/settlement centres, and many other programs for community-based English language learners require a valid Police Clearance (vulnerable sector) before they accept anyone as a volunteer or a Practicum student.

How do I obtain my Vulnerable Sector Police Clearance?

You may not begin your practicum placement in a TCDSB classroom until your background check has been received by the Continuing Education Department, TCDSB.

Instructions for TORONTO residents* (The applicant’s home address postal code begins with “M”):

Complete the POLICE REFERENCE CHECK in 8.5” x 14”/legal size format (form available from TSL562H class and the TESOL office. Please use blue ink pen.
Submit in class (TSL 562) or in the TESOL Office (119 St. George St, 3rd Floor).

Bring 2 pieces of ID issued by government that confirm the name, date of birth and address; one of them must include a photo for verification (e.g. driver’s license, health card, permanent resident card, passport, birth certificate, etc.). In addition, you must bring a photocopy of all ID. (This photocopy will be attached to the application for submission to the TCDSB). Applications will not be accepted without a photocopy of all ID.

Submit $20.00 (a money order or a bank-certified cheque) payable to TORONTO POLICE SERVICE. A personal cheque or cash is not acceptable.

Important Notes about the Application Process:

The TESOL Office will forward all the applications received by the deadlines to the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) at 80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto. The TCDSB processes the applications.

The completion of the process usually takes approximately 10 to 12 weeks.

Any incomplete forms or incorrectly completed forms will be returned to the TESOL office.

At the discretion of the principal and if the volunteer/practicum student is known to the school, the volunteer or practicum student may start their involvement in the school while the police check process is underway.

Submission Deadline

Which Practicum sessions are covered

September 28, 2017

Winter 2018

March 28, 2018

Fall 2018, Winter 2019

Expedited Option:

An expedited option is available for applicants who have a CLEAR record. This means applicants:

Have never been fingerprinted

Have never been charged with a criminal offence

Have never been convicted of a criminal offence

Have never received a pardon for a sexual offence

Gender/date of birth does not match to a pardon sexual offence

Have never been under investigation for a criminal offence

The cost of the expedited option is $65.00 and applicants must go in-person to Toronto Police Service at 40 College Street to submit their police clearance form and payment. Payments can be made on-site with debit/credit card. The police clearance form is available in the TSL562H1 class and from the TESOL office.

Once your Police Clearance has been completed:

Police Services will mail the results of the police reference checks directly to the individual’s home address. TESOL students must bring a COPY to the first Practicum class.

* NON-TORONTO residents must go directly to the main police service in their area to get the police check with the VULNERABLE SECTOR SCREENING. If you have a police clearance (Vulnerable Sector Screening) from one of these other Police Services (Peel, York Region etc,) please bring a COPY to the first Practicum class.

Recent News

Fall 2018

Course Enrolment Start Date

Course enrolment for 2018-19 Fall/Winter begins July 12 at 6am. Please download the 2018-19 Timetable and Instructions document for enrolment and payment instructions. Guidance on course selection is available from the 2018-19 TESOL Program Calendar.

2018-19 Academic Year

Updates and Timetables

The schedule and list of sessional dates for the 2018-19 academic year have been posted in the CURRENT STUDENTS section on the TIMETABLES page. Please download the timetable document prior to course enrolment (enrolment begins July 12th at 6am).